This invention relates to a method for control of the bacterial aspects of shipping fever. In a particular aspect, this invention relates to a method for control of the bacterial aspects of shipping fever when the bacteria are Pasteurella species.
Shipping fever is the name commonly used for a multi-faceted disease syndrome usually associated with the transportation, concentration and confinement of animals, especially mammals such as cattle, sheep, goats, horses, similar wild species, and the like. This syndrome, which annually costs cattle producers millions of dollars in the United States alone, is most commonly encountered in cattle and sheep which have been recently weaned, transported to market, sorted and sold, and again transported to a new home, such as a farm, ranch, or feed lot. The disease can even occur in the absence of transportation or other stressful circumstances. Accordingly, while the stress adaptation response can be a significant and predisposing factor in the development of shipping fever, certain microorganisms can, under conditions of adequate exposure, cause the diverse facets of the disease complex independent of the stress adaption response.
Shipping fever is an acute respiratory disease clinically characterized by fever, depression, anorexia, nasal discharge, acute inflammation of the air-ways, and pneumonia. There may be several species of bacteria involved, and also one or more viruses. Of the bacteria, species of Pasteurella such as P. multocida or P. hemolytica are regarded by most authorities as being the most important. It is, therefore, advantageous to provide a suitable antibacterial agent for the control of shipping fever in cattle, sheep, horses and the like.